The concept of disease The general definition of a disease is as follows: a disease is an impairment of health or a condition of abnormal functioning. It is a pathological condition of a part, organ, or system of an organism resulting from various causes, such as infection, genetic defect, or environmental stress, and is characterised by an identifiable group of signs or symptoms. A patient will define himself or herself as affected by either a disease or a disorder. In this document the word "disease" is used.

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